Inspiration, ideas and information to help women build public speaking content, confidence and credibility. Denise Graveline is a Washington, DC-based speaker coach who has coached nearly 100 TEDMED and TEDx speakers--many featured on TED.com--and prepared speakers to testify before the U.S. Congress, appear on national television, and deliver industry keynotes. She offers 1:1 coaching and group workshops in public speaking, presentation and media interview skills to both men and women.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I have more than one friend or client who tells me that she starts to blush, turning beet red in the face, when she begins a speech, presentation or talk. If this has happened to you, it can be among the most mortifying of public speaking experiences.

In part, that's because you can sense there's nothing you can do about it, and you're right: Blushing is an uncontrollable physiological response to stress, a physical manifestation of fight-or-flight syndrome. It's also a social way that your body demonstrates an apology, typically for some kind of bad social behavior, and that works with the audience--it's a credible way to say, "I know I just did something wrong," as you'll see in the smart video below that summarizes the science behind blushing.

Trouble is, you shouldn't be apologizing for speaking, so take some time to think about whether that's what is prompting the red-faced reaction. Are you feeling unsure of your authority to speak? Worried about insulting a prominent member of the audience? Anticipating that your biggest critic, also sitting there, will rip apart your logic? All that might bring on the blushing, or you might just have a typical case of the public speaking nerves, perfectly normal.

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